Highlights of Rockford School District plans and guiding principles

Three- and 4-year-old students are better served in early childhood centers.

All elementary schools should have three or four classes per grade level to get more grant dollars and for better utilization of staff.

To achieve this, the district needs to close schools and consolidate students into few schools. The ideal elementary school should have between 475 and 633 students.

The district’s Facilities Task Force will consider the community’s input before making a final recommendation to the school board in June and voting June 24.

No building changes will take place next school year. Changes will begin in the 2015-2016 school year.

There is no plan to cut staff or layoff teachers because the number of students is expected to remain the same.

The district plans to pay for the 10-year plan using $139 million in general obligation bonds, $50 million from cash reserves, $11 million in life safety bonds, $30 million in corporate personal property replacement taxes, $15 million from the operations and maintenance fund, $5 million from the life safety levy.